25 Christmas Questions

Susan over at Life in the Psych Ward asked for us all to join in the fun!! So here I go....



1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Ok that is hard because this time of year it's Egg Nog, but the rest of the year I LOVE me some Hot Chocolate!



2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa puts our gifts by the fireplace where our stockings hang.



3. Colored lights on house/tree or white? White.



4. Do you hang mistletoe? If I knew where to find some, I'd hang some up and stand underneath it!



5.When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year I couldn't get motivated!!! (I have no idea why either)



6.What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My mother in law's mashed potatoes and my mom's jello. Love that stuff!


7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? That is a tough one. I was just reminded of one by my dearest friend Kerri, but when I was a kid we had a tree stand that rotated around and played music. It was actually very cool. It finally broke after my dad died.

8. When did you learn the truth about Santa? truth??? In our house it is always if you don't believe you don't receive!!!!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? As a child we were always able to open one gift from a family member. I have allowed my kids to do the same thing. So any out of town packages one present is fair game!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? !With the boys. I un-package all the ornaments and they put them on the tree. I put the higher up ones on and Matt always puts the topper on the tree!

11. Snow. Love it or dread it? Love the look...loved as a child playing in it, but I live in Arizona now and can't even remember the last time I was in the snow!

12. Can you ice skate?Yes, and I love it!!! Grew up right down the street from an ice skating rink.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I received a "real" cabbage patch kid one year. In Georgia they have a hospital (Babyland General) where the babies are born from a cabbage and I received Gabriella. My mom still has her today.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Being with my family and friends. It's a great time to slow down and appreciate.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? We always had a cake for Baby Jesus every year. Now that I am married we have birthday cake because it's actually my mother-in-law's birthday on Christmas day!!!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Taking the kids to see Santa. I don't care how old they ever get. It just makes me happy.

17. What tops your Christmas tree? A snowman star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?I love the feeling of giving, especially to those who are in need. The best part is the look on the face of someone you bought the PERFECT gift for. However, I love to be surprised with a really great gift!!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Any song on Amy Grant's Christmas albums. I love every single one of them!!

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck?YUMMY!!!!! Oddly enough I just bought some today to eat!

21. What do you want for Christmas? A video camera. I have actually wanted one for years, but I am thinking probably not this year either...:(

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? Not an annual one, but we do attend Christmas parties. It's fun to get together this time of year!

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's? We wear jeans or anything festive. We have our big party on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is more for pj's.

24. Do you own a Santa hat? Yes!!!

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Family. Any and all that are around on that day!!!!

Trying to find the holiday spirit

So since my last post I have been trying VERY hard to take it one day at a time. The stress was getting to be quite crazy. I just REALLY needed to finish everything on my list so I could just sit back and enjoy. Yesterday, I passed on attending Brad's end of the year football party. I just couldn't see how that was good use of time. I mean it's always great attending those parties, but I had so many things to do!!!

We took the time yesterday to hang the outside lights (thanks Mom and Dad for your help) and I took the time to clean the inside and then decorate!!! It sure felt good to get that all done. I ordered the Christmas cards (sadly they won't be here til next week sometime) and even got the Lacrosse "mom" stuff done. I woke up today feeling energized and wonderful.

Here are some pictures of the tree. We decorated the tree tonight. Obviously JT was WAY more excited about it than the older boys. They just wanted to hang the ornaments and JT was just happy posing for pictures!!! ;)

So in light of everything I think I have it under control as of now so please please please don't let anything stand in my way til the 25th!!!! :) I know what will happen will happen!! A girl can dream though can't she??

Just a bit overwhelmed!!!

So lately I have been feeling VERY overwhelmed. I am not really sure why either. I don't feel my life has gotten any crazier or any busier, I think it's mostly because in my head I realize that in 9 weeks I will have to take care of one more person. I think it is truly messing with my head! Now don't get me wrong....baby #4 was totally planned and I couldn't be more excited about a new baby in our family, but somewhere in my head all I can think is WOW how am I going to do this??

You see because a typical day in my house includes the following:

Up first to shower. If I let hubby take a shower first he uses all the hot water.
Off to drink some coffee and read the paper. Start the muffins or cinnamon rolls if that is what we are having
Wake up boys to get ready for school
Feed them breakfast
Then we are off to do hair, brush teeth, make beds, etc.
Take kids to school
Come home and work
Straighten up house while making lunch for JT and me
Pick up child from school
Later pick up another child from school after some sport thing he does (i.e. track, football)
Rush dinner on the table
Either help with homework or take oldest to some other sport thing (i.e. football or lacrosse)
Give little one bath
Bedtime
Work some more to get ready for the next day
Watch TIVO stuff if I can stay awake

That's it. Everyday. Of course weekends there is laundry and cleaning. Every weekend I dust the whole house, clean bathrooms, vacuum, clean floors, etc. I can't stop from doing it. Tried to go every other week and couldn't handle it. Tried to hire someone to clean, but just kept cleaning anyone so figured that was silly.

This weekend I wanted to get my Christmas decorations up. Yah, that didn't happen. Every day we had something else going on and I just couldn't find the energy.

I am not trying for this post to come across like I am whining (ok maybe a little) but I just needed to vent. Thinking if I could get it out of my head and onto paper (or the Internet) then maybe I can just go back to getting motivated and moving forward!!

I already feel a little better. :) I just realize that things won't always be able to be perfect and in my head I think that's ok. Just wish I wasn't so OCD!!! I am working on it though. Or am I???

Happy 4th Birthday Jt!!!

Happy 4th birthday buddy! I truly can't believe that 4 years have past. To think that 4 years ago you came into our lives....wow has it gone fast. I remember when I was younger and life seemed to move so slow (when was Christmas vacation, spring break, and last day of school) and now I just try and understand how time can move so fast....

Here is a picture of your brothers meeting you for the first time. Ooh they were so proud and still are. You are such a great little brother. For the most part you make us laugh.. A LOT! You are such a big boy. No one believes you just turned 4. You wear size 6 clothes!!! You already have a great sense of humor and you for sure roll with the punches. You have finally decided to start trying to learn your letters. For the longest time you have fought with me and then suddenly you wanted to know which letter was what. :) You have now decided after 4 years of calling my name in the morning that you are big enough to come out of your room, head to your playroom and watch TV until I join you. You give tons of kisses and hugs. Your favorite thing to do it play outside with your friends. You could do that for hours. You just started to notice babies which is a good thing since we are having one. We haven't told you yet though. You are smart enough to know something is going on, but we haven't sat you down yet. You might not stop asking me when your new brother will arrive. ;) I figure we still have some time (like 10 weeks). You are such a helper. If I am making a bed you want to do teamwork. If I am taking the dishes out of the dishwasher you want to hand them to me. We are still working on cleaning up your playroom, but that is mostly mommy's fault because EVERYTHING has a place and I need it to go there! :) You love to take baths and swim....you want to know why you can't swim now in the pool. I am so incredibly lucky to have you. I love you so very much!!!!

Here are some random pictures from the party. We had it at Pump It Up since all you EVER want to do is bounce!!!

The girl at the store made the wrong cake. It's a good thing I have gotten older and stress less because I picked up your cake 1 hour before the party. The girl who made it was mortified but I told her no worries and could I please have the Power Ranger items we had requested. :) So you not only had a Madagascar cake, but we added the Rangers to it as well!!!!! You loved it!

This was taken before you started opening all of your wonderful gifts. You received so many wonderful things and the day was a huge success!!! I am so happy that you had fun. I love you and Happy Birthday!

Sometimes life throws you a curveball

Do you ever feel that life sometimes throws you a curveball?

Like you had something planned and then BAM it doesn't work out that way or ends up so much better. One of my favorite songs is by Garth Brooks. "Unanswered prayers". So many times we want for something to happen and it either never does or what happens is so much better!!!

The lyrics go like this:

Just the other night a hometown football game My wife and I ran into my old high school flame And as I introduced them the past came back to me And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be She was the one that I'd wanted for all times And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then I'd never ask for anything again CHORUS: Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams And I could tell that time had changed me In her eyes too it seemed We tried to talk about the old days There wasn't much we could recall I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all And as she walked away and I looked at my wife And then and there I thanked the good Lord For the gifts in my life CHORUS Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered... Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

I have felt that way so many times in my life. I try to live by the idea that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. Some of the times I still don't know why it happened, but then I remember something about it and think that's why. If I hadn't met my ex-husband I wouldn't have my two older boys. If I had not moved back to Arizona I wouldn't have the great friends I have today. If I had not met JT's dad I wouldn't have JT. And of course if I had not gone to the lake that one day I wouldn't have met my husband. The most important things in my life. My family!!!

As I am expecting #4 it makes me think back. To how I got here today. I feel very blessed. I have my family, a roof over my head, a car to drive, a job, and my health. There are so many people who aren't that lucky right now. I am also fully aware how fast any or all of that could change.

You see my former brother-in-law is in a hospital fighting for his life. A senseless car accident. A wonderful God living man. A young man who is only 38 years old. Who has a wife, two small children, a very large family who loves him. And it happened in a blink of an eye.

This is where it gets hard to believe everything happens for a reason. Because truly I couldn't think of one good reason for this to have happened. Please pray for him and for the family. I am AWARE of the power of prayer. I have watched it happen here and I know it works!!!!

So I am guessing if life throws you a curveball you should probably just try and swing the bat.


*****UPDATE******My brother-in-law is still in very critical condition however he is making progress and has been alert at times even writing small notes. Everyone is very encouraged, but he still has a long road ahead of him. Prayers are still needed. Thank you!!

What a week!!!

My week started off last Saturday night....I was late getting to Bradley's football game because well it was his 2nd round playoff game and I get too nervous for him. He is the quarterback and I just hate watching him if I think the game will be at all tough for him. Sorry I am a sucker and want him to win every time!! So back to the story...I am late and my friend texts me and says, "you are gonna be so mad at your ex". I text back, "ok why". She texts back "you have to see to believe". So Matt and I show up at half time and there on the field is MY son with a Mohawk. I must admit I came slightly unglued. Ok REALLY unglued. His dad knew I would say no so they decided to not ask me. Then when I became angry he sorta laughed...UGH! (he kept it all week and started to hate it (haha) so his dad took him today and got it shaved off)

JT this week could only go to school on Thursday because he was having "bathroom issues" the other days. Have no idea, but for one week we had a relapse of what it was like to wear diapers. I even took him to the Dr. to find out he had a sinus infection and to be honest I was pretty shocked. I knew his cough was bad, but thought that was all and just a repeat of last year where he was sick from October-March. So now he is on antibiotics and hopefully on the road to recovery.

My mom had surgery on Friday. Thankfully she is one tough cookie and is now recovering at home after spending last night at the hospital. Greggory is staying with her so he can take care of her. Maybe he will be a doctor one day? Or maybe help save the world??? Oh heck I don't know!!!

I went to the dermatologist this week to have the moles checked out. There was one spot on my throat that had to be removed. Haven't heard back yet on the spot though. It was a patchy dry spot on my throat. Been there maybe a year or so. I really thought moles were the only problem. Guess I learned that you just need to make sure you get yourself checked regularly. Too many people are finding out they have melonoma and it scares me to death!!! Especially since I spent the majority of my youth in the sun baking!!!

The highlight of my week (thankfully there was one) was getting together with two of my highschool friends from Georgia. Well heck we knew each other long before highschool, but because of facebook I have found so many of my "old" friends and the best was finding out that one of my most favorite people actually lives 10 minutes from me here in Arizona!!! :) Another one of our friends was in town for a work convention so the three of us headed to dinner and oh what fun we had!!! Sometimes you just need to laugh and oh did we laugh!!! I will post a picture as soon as one of them sends it to me! :) I forgot my camera. Probably was the horrible bandaid I had on my throat that made me forget....

This coming week is going to be crazy. Kids crazy, work crazy, and if you can believe it...JT's 4th birthday crazy. Yikes where has the time gone?? Just boggles my mind how fast these kids grow up.

I still am working on a Halloween post and the big I am 4 post. Hope to get those completed soon!!

I did finally get the guest room "new baby's room" cleaned out so my father-in-law can paint it. It took all day today, but it's almost ready. Of course I didn't order the furniture until this week and it takes 10-12 weeks to get it!!! Oh well. At least when the baby comes home it has somewhere to sleep until the furniture arrives...

That's all for now!!!

What? He thinks this is ME

The other day I picked up JT from pre-school. He was so excited to show me what he had made that day. He pulls out a Dixie cup with blue ribbon and exclaims, "Mommy, I made you!!!!" Ok WHAT?

As you can see though he is VERY proud of his work!!!!